Conventionally, there has been known a label creation apparatus including: a cartridge in which a tag tape having a plurality of wireless tag circuit elements provided along a tape length direction and a plurality of black marks provided along the tape length direction so as to correspond to the plurality of wireless tag circuit elements are accommodated so as to be capable of being paid out; a cartridge holder in which the cartridge is installed; a cutter unit that cuts off the tag tape at a cut position outside the cartridge; a mark sensor that detects the passage of the respective black marks; and conveyance means for feeding the tag tape based on the passage detection of the black marks corresponding to the wireless tag circuit elements to separate the wireless tag circuit elements at a prescribed cut spot on the tag tape by the cutter unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2011-178147
Meanwhile, it is assumed to use a tape-shaped member having a plurality of label portions along its tape length direction instead of the above tag tape. In this case, in order to detect the positions of the respective label portions in a tape feeding direction, it is assumed to provide a plurality of detection target portions projecting in a tape width direction along the tape length direction so as to correspond to the respective label portions at one end in the tape width direction of the tape-shaped member instead of the above black marks and form an exposed area, in which the respective detection target portions are exposed to detect the passage of the detection target portions by a detection portion, in a cartridge case.
However, if the detection target portion corresponding to the n-th label portion is exposed in the exposed area until the next tape feeding is performed in succession to the separation of the label portion (the n−1-th label portion) adjacent to any of the label portions (the n-th label portion from a paying-out tip-end side) on the paying-out tip-end side, there is a likelihood that the detection target portion contacts a user's finger or the like to be folded. If the detection target portion is folded, it gets stuck on the detection portion or the like, which may result in a factor responsible for jamming.
The present invention has an object of providing a tape cartridge and a tape feeding apparatus that prevent detection target portions from contacting a finger or the like when an exposed area is provided in a cartridge case to cause the detection target portions of a tape-shaped member to be exposed.